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Month: January 2010

Yes, Rogues were hit with the “Balance” stick over the past week. However, I will say the changes didn’t hit as hard as I feared. Or, it’s possible that I just braced myself for it more than I realized.

The base numbers coming down through the “internetz” is that it works out to about a 7-8% drop in Mutilate damage and a 2% for Combat.

/shrug

Nerfing and Balancing are just a part of life in any MMO really. The part of this change that bothers me is really the fact that the developers stated that it was due to their notice of guilds stacking rogues for certain encounters. A lot of those guilds of course then benched or kicked the rogues and brought other classes. I was trying to find the quote so I’m not just slandering the posters in blue, but I’ve been unsuccessful for the moment.

Things like this do make feel a bit for fellow rogues not as lucky as I. Sure, we’re all stealthy loners that love the shadows, but we do enjoy some group play now and again. Thank you to my guild’s officers for your wonderful job at keeping the class balance and maintaining the roster and attitude we have. It’s a pleasure to stab for you.

Although Ghostcrawler did get a snappy new sig from the Rogue “hotfixes”:

And today we get a round of fixes (nerfs ;)) to the previously released Patch 3.3 Frozen Halls dungeons and Icecrown Citadel raid encounters as well as some extra rewards for actually remaining in those Oculus randoms that pop up now and again.

The Lady Deathwhisper encounter has seen the following changes in the 25 player normal version: mana pool has been reduced, the health on all adds has been reduced, and Adherents will wait a little longer after spawning before they start casting.

Interrupting a fireball being cast by the Ymirjar Flamebearers in normal and heroic Pit of Saron will no longer make them instantly cast Hellfire.

The ghost waves at the beginning of both normal and heroic Halls of Reflection have undergone several changes that should make them easier to defeat such as preventing 2 mages or 2 mercenaries from spawning in the 5 mob pulls, a shorter duration of the spectral footman’s shield bash, and the spectral mage’s flamestrike having a longer cast time, shorter duration, and (in heroic) doing less damage.

So now I feel kind of bad for being all kick happy on the PoS mobs. It’s a bit juvenile, but seeing people post LFG H-PoS really makes me giggle inside. Also, I don’t think Lady Deathwhisper needed a nerf. It was the only fight in the first wing of ICC that really felt challenging. Oh no, it takes a few wipes to down that? We have to make it easier. Seriously guys, I didn’t love the M’uru wipe fest either, but Lady D was no where near that kind of harsh. (People who claim to have loved M’uru are 1] Sadists-in a bad way and 2]suffering from long term memory issues.)

So a couple of weeks into Patch 3.3 The Fall of the Lich King, I definitely have my likes down:

1. Mutilate. Mutilate. Mutilate – I absolutely love playing this game as a Rogue wielding daggers. I was a bit ignorant in TBC. Thus, why I subjected myself to Combat Daggers up until Lady Vashj. O..M..G…though. Mutilate is so good right now, it feels sinful to use it. Like dps-ing with really good chocolate or scotch.

2. Gunship Battle – Oh ye who complain about vehicle fights, leave your complaints at the teleporter. This fight has it all. Portals with spawning mobs, Cannons and cannon fodder, Battle mages, Faction warfare against Flying Gunships, and last but now least gas-powered ROCKET PACKS. My only regret is that I don’t have a raiding toon Horde side to see this fight from that angle, too. As melee, I get to zip back and forth between the two ships taking down battle-mages, rocketeers, and axe throwers. Now this is gaming.

3. The opening emote sequence to ICC – Yeah, Trial of the Crusader/grand crusader and its four raid ID’s has me tired of Tirion’s emoting speeches, too. But this starter scene between him, Muradin, the Lich King, and our fallen friend Bolvar almost makes it worth it. I’m loving watching this story unfold.

4. Professor Putricide – I should probably be worried, but I’m really looking forward to stepping through the gate leading to the Plagueworks of ICC and this boss that was barely tested EU side PTR. For once, we don’t have massive amounts of PTR strats and raid kill videos. We have a basic ability list, and we’re going to have to figure it out. In 10 attempts or less. Looking forward to the intensity.